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Well in most places across the US we are already a week and a bit more into the school year. How quickly the old routines of previous years beginning to echo. If you listen closely you can already hear kids talk about the pressures of school - to much homework, to many tests, to much to do, etc.

I am sure most of us said the same things when we were their age and in their position. As an adult it is easy to say - "Oh that is not a big deal, you should have to work 12 months a year, or pay bills, or ....". However, that is like a retiree telling a thirty year old that they need apprecate their health and enjoy their youth. In our mind we all know that our circumstances are not as bad as they could be, and that our situation could be worse, but at that moment logical thought is not a priority, it is our perceived reality that matters.

You have to finish the stage of life you are in before you can move into the next one. The life of an adult is more complex, and more difficult, then one of a school aged child. In the same way the life of a retiree is stressful in different ways then the one of a person in their early thirties. However, the root lives of all three stages of life are really not that different.

Regardless of age, we all live lives full of work and filled with tests, the difference is the nature of the work and the nature of the tests. Many times we forget to consider the current state / stage of the person being tested. When we do that we can be extremely uncaring as we casually toss their problem aside because it is not a big issue to us. A pebble in your life maybe a boulder in the life of another, and vis vera. That is a lesson in itself, but today well not chase that rabbit, maybe in some future post we will pursue that path. Today, we want to talk about the quizzes that arise in all our lives and how we handle them.

The noun definition of the word quiz is - an examination consisting of a few short questions. Based on that then our lives are full of quizzes regardless of age. Sometimes those examinations are written, sometimes they are oral, sometimes they are physical, sometimes they are mental, and most of the time in the life of a Christian they have a spiritual component as well.

There is no doubt that we all will face tests and challenges, so the only question is how are we going to responded to the tests or exams we face . In school there are always those students that are ready to be quizzed, and then there are those that sit daily in fear of today being the day that they are tested. In adulthood, and within our walk with Christ regardless of age, we see this same pattern - there are those that are ready for the quiz, no matter the time because they stay prepared, and those that are never prepared because they are to worried about being tested to prepare.

The Team Swap Team would never say that the Bible is wrong, because it is always right, and to say that is wrong would be to doubt the validity of scripture. However, we do think that many times we misread the Bible in our human nature. These misunderstandings of scripture are usually not intentional false teachings, but they do lead to us being confused sometimes when it comes to our spiritual understanding. We feel that one of those misunderstandings can be found when we discuss being a new creation in Christ.

Obviously, when we come to Christ we are forgiven for all our sins, This new sinless being has new thoughts, new goals, a new way of living, a new purpose and a bright future. All of that is true, but we think that many times we as humans begin to think there will be other changes as well. Those do not always occur.

When someone comes to Christ the manner they live (work ethic, attention to detail vs lack there of, and consistency) does not always change. The lost person that worked hard will generally be the Christian that works hard, and the lost person that takes the quick route will generally be the Christian that does as well. The lost procrastinator becomes the saved procrastinator. Our nature, our goals and our activities may change, but our style of living and personalities do not. So, Christians that are prepared for testing are typically the ones that prepare for other things in their life as well. The Christians that live in fear of spiritual tests, or challenges, are usually the ones that fear a test or a challenge in other areas of their lives as well.

As a Christian we are all called to be able to defend and explain our faith at any time. The only way to be prepared to defend your faith is to learn, study, and work before the test occurs. No one can prepare for a test once the test has already begun. The successful Christian, and person for that matter, is one that consistently works to gain knowledge and experiance, that then can be applied to the situations in their life. Many times these successful defense can be seen as fruits of their labor. A faith defended is one that is mature, or at least growing, and one where the believer values their relationship with Christ enough to work at it. This successful defense is only possible when the person is prepared before the test occurs.

Yet, most Christians live in fear of being ask about their faith, their church, or their walk, and those are all things about them personally. Most people like to talk about themselves and their lives, so the fear that many Christians show regarding their personal faith is almost unnatural when you think about it. If the question is broader then themselves, a question that has to do with overall faith, a Bible point or challenge, or even a complex human problem with a clear Biblical answer or solution, many Christians fear the test so much they will literally flee the area to avoid being tested or challenged. That does not send the message that one believes in a strong God when they flee at the first sign of challenge.

None of us like pain or suffering, and if the test will be painful it is human nature to want to avoid it, but all tests are not painful. Many times tests are just ways to show how far we have come, and can become a means to challenge us to continue our process of growth. Taking a test, and passing with flying colors is not painful, it is encouraging. Those that are prepared for quizzes do not live in fear of challenges and testing. The prepared person is the one that sees the test as a point of challange and growth potential.

It is failing the test that is painful, and the failed test can many times be a sign of our true nature and reflection of our true relationship with God. It exposes our lack of depth and our shallow relationship. That exposure is what we fear. It is the fear of the good student being exposed as a cheat, or the quiet student that hides in the corner being noticed, that drives our fear.

Many are afraid of the test because they are not prepared, and they do not prepare because they are afraid of the test. It is a vicious cycle and one the drives a person to a place of isolation from God. Many times we are afraid to approach God because of our nature, and this shame only drives us further away. Yet, God does not feel the same about us. He wants to welcome us back. He wants to restore and strengthen us, not chaise and devour us. It is our fear of failure, not His nature, that isolates us from God and His will.

God yearns for us to be one with Him. He knows our nature ,and knows that we do not always prepare well enough for the quizzes that we face. Yet, God is also there to carry us and help us through the quizzes we are not ready for. We do not need to live our lives fearing the quizzes, we need to live our lives seeing the quizzes as opportunities to be good witnesses, opportunities to further His kingdom, and opportunities to be His hands and feet. It is all about His will and our trust of Him, not about our nature and our fears. God knows our fears, He knows our nature, and He knows His strengths. The quizzes we face are short and small when compared with the struggles of eternity and all of humanity, God can and will handle them.

Decide today to no longer fear the quizzes in your life. Learn to live in way where you are prepared for the brief tests and challenges that present themselves in your life daily. If you do that you will live a life that is far less stressful and one that is a blessing to you, all those that you meet, and that is useful to God.